BOULDER -- Boulder District Chief Judge Roxanne Bailin plans to retire Aug. 31, which opens a position for a new district judge as well as a new chief judge.

Applicants for the judge post must have five years' experience practicing law in Colorado and must be a qualified elector for the 20th Judicial District, which covers Boulder County. The governor will appoint a new judge for a provisional two-year term after the 20th Judicial District Nominating Commission reviews applicants.

Anyone who would like to nominate a candidate must send a letter to any member of the nomination commission:

Marsha Caplan, 1506 Harrison Ave., Boulder, CO 80303

Michael Beylkin, 1888 Sherman St., Suite 370, Denver, CO 80203

William Flowers Jr., 4860 Riverbend Road, Boulder, CO 80303

Polly Jessen, 1675 Broadway, Suite 2300, Denver, CO 80202

Leslie Eaton, 2180 Sunshine Canyon, Boulder, CO 80302

Briggs Gamblin, 541 Centennial Drive, Louisville, CO 80027

Rex (Joel) Champion, 1733 Preston Drive, Longmont, CO 80504

Deadline: 4 p.m. June 12

The Colorado Supreme Court chief justice will select a new chief district judge from among the district judges.

Bailin was first appointed as the 20th Judicial District's chief in 1998. She was appointed to the district bench in 1987 after serving four years in as a Boulder County judge.

Balin spearheaded the county's integrated drug treatment courts, which funnels drug offenders through treatment programs, instead of traditional sentences. She has also focused efforts on mental health issues and founded the county's mental health task force in 1999."Even though it is difficult for me to leave, I'm overwhelmingly reassured about leaving the district in extraordinarily good hands," Bailin said in a prepared statement.

The chief judge manages the other judges and appoints them to divisions to handle different dockets, like criminal, civil, and juvenile cases.

Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett said that Bailin had done an admirable job in the post and noted that it is rare for a chief judge to take on dockets in all of the divisions. He noted that she served a full cycle handling juvenile cases.

"I have always been extremely impressed with Judge Bailin's commitment to juvenile court," he said.

The chief judge also handles the bond schedule, which serves as a guide for bonds according to crimes charged.

Garnett agrees that bonds shouldn't be punitively high, but should allow prosecutors the ability to keep high-risk suspects behind bars as needed, he said. He has been "cautiously" supportive of Bailin's bond schedule, adding that she sought the counsel of his office, law enforcement and other stakeholders in its development.

Following the initial two-year term, the new judge will be subject to a retention vote for another six-year term.